Detective Masuto investigates a string of strange Southern California crimes that lead all the way back to Nazi GermanyReturning from a funeral, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Briggs find their Beverly Hills mansion ransacked. As they wait for the police, they discover something unusual: Despite the chaos, nothing appears to be missing—a fact that greatly interests Beverly Hills police detective Masao Masuto. But the Zen detective only has a few minutes to ponder the strange break-in before a murder intervenes. The victim is Ivan Gaycheck, a stamp dealer whom Masuto remembers for his stout frame and unplaceable accent. A .22-caliber bullet killed Gaycheck, but—just like the Briggs’s home invasion—nothing in the shop has been disturbed. Suspecting a connection between the two crimes, Masuto dives into the case, uncovering a strange conspiracy that stretches back to the darkest days of World War II. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Howard Fast including rare photos from the author’s estate.

A hard-boiled insurance investigator upends New York in search of a perfect diamond necklace Death follows the Sarbine necklace. Its eleven diamonds are flawless, and all cut from the same stone—one of the largest ever unearthed from the mines of South Africa. But lately this most elegant piece of jewelry has become a bad luck charm. Its original owner killed himself, and his daughter, who was meant to inherit the piece at eighteen, died shortly after. When the necklace itself goes missing, it becomes Harvey Krim's problem—and his chance to make a fortune.   An insurance investigator with a porous moral code, Krim will collaborate with thieves if it means recovering the necklace. The answer could lie with a Texan maid named Lydia Harvey, but she seems too inept to be a skilled jewel thief. Those who possess the Sarbine necklace have a short lifespan, and with so many others looking for it, if Krim isn't careful, his neck could be next.   This ebook features an...